Fifty-three crews are ready to start the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour race at the Mount Panorama Circuit, the opening event of the Australian racing season and the first round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. It would be the 16th edition of the 12-hour race at Bathurst since its inauguration in 1991 and the eighth edition in which GT cars lead the field.

Many former winners are returning to the Mount Panorama, including two last year’s laureates Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup. They won a race together in Maranello Motorsport’s Ferrari but this year they will fight against each other. Craig Lowndes joined YNA Autosport to drive the #58 McLaren 650S GT3 alongside another former winner Shane van Gisbergen. Jamie Whincup will race in the #75 Team SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Thirty-three GT3 cars are on the list, divided into four categories (12 Pro crews, 13 Pro-Am crews, three Am crews and five B class crews). The grid would be completed with ten GT4/C class cars and ten cars in Invitational class.

No Ferraris on the grid this year

Maranello Motorsport and Ferrari will not defend last year crown. The manufacturers on the GT3 grid are Audi, Bentley, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Lamborghini and McLaren.

Bentley is the only brand which is coming to Bathurst with a factory team, running two Continental GT3 cars for six drivers, while other marques would be represented by the customer teams.